


Without Injuring Eternity

by Molespeople



Category: Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Genre: F/M, Post-Movie(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-08
Updated: 2015-03-09
Packaged: 2018-03-11 05:26:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 9,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3315842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Molespeople/pseuds/Molespeople
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jupiter Jones survived an alien abduction, the schemings of one messed up family, and multiple explosions. Now what is she going to do? Everything can't go back to normal when your boyfriend is an half-human half-wolf-thing with wings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Is This It?

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from Thoreau (because Jupiter Ascending deserves a little Thoreau) "As if you could kill time without injuring eternity".

Jupiter thinks the sheer gratitude that she's alive and her family is safe and she's back _home_ starts to fade around the 50th toilet. Her eye is drawn to the seal on her arm as she moves the toilet brush about briskly and she pauses. What if Kalique is right? If time is the most precious commodity, why in the hell is she still scrubbing toilets?  
\-----  
Later when she's finally in Caine's arms again, she mutters her revelation against his neck. 

"I don't think I would miss you smelling of toilets, Your Majesty." His chest rumbles with his words.

Jupiter pulls away and presses her hand to her face. "Oh god, I smell like a toilet," she exclaims, mortified. 

"The chemicals, not the other..." he trails off, a frown on his face. 

"No, I understand," Jupiter says with a sigh. "Women don't really want to smell like a toilet. There's eau de toilette, of course, but that's different." She shakes her head and sits down on Caine's bed. "Maybe I just want you to think I smell nice."

Caine stares at her for a moment before joining her on the bed. "Maybe you always smell nice to me."

Jupiter smiles and leans against Caine's side. "I'm glad."

She looks around at the large, slightly rundown warehouse that the Aegis had set Caine up in. "But what am I doing?"

"It's not my place to question your actions, Your Majesty."

Jupiter grabs Caine's hand and looks him directly in the eye. "It's always your place, Caine. We're a _Pack_."

Caine shakes his head. "I think the real question is what do _you_ want?" 

Jupiter tilts her head. "You?" 

"You already have me."

Jupiter stands up abruptly and begins to pace. "I don't know what I want." She shakes her head. "I don't want to feel out of my depth again...I want to take control of my life...of my planet." She rubs her forehead. "I still can't believe I have a planet."

Caine nods. "How do you gain control?"

Jupiter stares off into the distance. Her eyes crinkling with thought. "I want..." She pauses. "I want you to teach me how to fight."

Caine nods. "I can do that." 

Jupiter looks to a rickety table covered in sheaves. "I want to learn how best to protect the Earth...from a harvest, from ourselves." 

Caine nods. "That seems like a good place to start."


	2. Hit Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She asked to learn how to fight.

Jupiter hits the mat hard and grunts. She doesn't even have time to savor the feeling of her lungs collapsing before she has to roll to avoid another blow. It's times like these that she regrets the decision to learn to fight. She keeps rolling until she runs out of padded real estate. 

"What's your next move?" 

Jupiter looks at the shield hovering over her jugular. She raises an arched eyebrow. "Die?" 

"Or." 

Jupiter grits her teeth together. "Fight." She taps into her last reserve of energy and jams her foot towards Caine's crotch. 

Caine calmly grasps her foot before it can connect. "Good instincts. But."

Jupiter lets her head fall back against the floor. "Don't announce my intentions." 

Caine holds out his hand. "Let's go through it again."

Jupiter shakes her head. "Did you know that this floor is surprisingly comfortable? I'm just going to stay down here for a bit."

Caine lies down next to Jupiter. "You're doing well."

"How come it doesn't feel like it?" Jupiter says with a snort as she moves closer to his side. 

Caine touches his mouth. "Feels like it on this end." His fingertips come away red.

Jupiter props herself up on her elbow and looks at Caine. She strokes his brow. "I'm sorry...that looks a little painful."

Caine shakes his head. "Never apologize for defending yourself. You're going to be at a natural disadvantage against a Splice - you can't hold back."

Jupiter presses her lips gently to the corner of his mouth. "I'm not holding back," she whispers.

Caine cradles her face in his hands, brushing his thumb against her cheek. "You're smart, Jupiter. You have good instincts. You can use this to your advantage. But you have to remember -"

"You have a target on your back. Balem's death has left a vacuum of power that various Entitled including Titus and Kalique would seek to fill," Jupiter drones, her brow furrowed, in a poor imitation of Caine. Her face relaxes. "I am completely aware of the direness of our situation. Thank you for reminding me." She rocks her head definitively against his hands. "Can I kiss you already? Help me take my mind off of it?"

"I don't know, Your Majesty, are you done with your training for the day?" 

Jupiter nods, a smile on her face. "Yes."

Caine smiles slowly. "Then yes." He tilts his head up to meet Jupiter's lips.

\-----  
Jupiter moves lazily against Caine. She bites on his lower lip. “This is really nice,” she whispers against his mouth. “Like really nice.” Caine grunts in agreement as he runs his hands down her back. “But we really need to catch the last bus.” She scrambles off Caine and rushes towards the table, shoving sheaves into a backpack. “And I still have all this reading to do.” 

Caine stretches leisurely on the mat. “Take the boots with you.” 

Jupiter rolls her eyes as she shoves the boots on her feet. “Vladie is just going to try to sell them on eBay again.” 

Caine shrugs. “If you’re taking the sheaves with you, then it can’t hurt.” 

“But I don’t care if he sells next quarter’s projected yields for fercadium.” 

Caine gets to his feet. “It is a very important metal.” He removes his jacket with a shrug. “I’ll race you to the bus stop,” he says quickly before darting away.

Jupiter looks quickly at the table before closing the backpack and running after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's probably worth noting that I'm going for a cheap romance/science fiction novel vibe (like in a good way, like in a Jupiter Ascending way). 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	3. Without a Net

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's easy to get lost in your thoughts on the bus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confession time: I had a lot of trouble with this itty bitty update.

Jupiter scowls at Caine's back as she follows him onto the bus. “You can stop smirking any time.”

“You're not even looking at my face, Your Majesty. How can you tell I'm smirking?"

Jupiter glances dubiously at the slight swaying movement of Caine's hips, a wiggle of sorts. "I have my suspicions."

Caine turns, his faint smirk vanishing with the movement, and gestures to the bench seat. "Your Majesty."

Jupiter snorts at his antics and slides into the seat. "You got a lucky break."

Caine entwines his arm with Jupiter. "Very lucky break."

"Also known as cheating."

"I wasn't referring to the race."

Jupiter shakes her head and leans against Caine's shoulder. "I know. You could have let me be annoyed with you a little while longer."

"I'll try harder next time, Your Majesty."

"Yeah, yeah," Jupiter says with a smile. She fidgets with the hem of Caine's hat, adjusting it so it covers his ears. Jupiter pats it decisively one last time before tangling her fingers with Caine's. Looking at the lights of the city through the fingerprint-smudged window, Jupiter wonders if she'll miss riding the bus. When she asked Caine if there was some fancy alien technology that would help her and her mother become legal US citizens, he had only answered that there were few things outside her grasp with her new title and property. The freedom to drive wherever she wanted _legally_ , the independence to work wherever, no longer dependent on her uncle for food, money, shelter - the possibilities seemed endless. The thought of living her life without these barriers seemed daunting, the openness was scary, like the last safety blanket in the universe would vanish.

Caine nudges her shoulder shaking her from her deep thought. "This is your stop."

After they hop off the bus, Jupiter watches the illuminated rectangle disappear into the distance. She shakes her head. "I can still ride the bus."

Caine gives her a confused look. "Of course?"

"I was just, you know, talking to myself." Jupiter says with a wave of her hands.

\--------

Jupiter says goodbye to Caine out of sight of the house. "Can we pretend you're not going to be on the roof in five minutes?"

Caine nods and presses another kiss to her lips. "Sounds like a plan."


	4. Give Me Strength

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jupiter has to satisfy her mother's suspicions.

Jupiter gently closes the door and begins silently inching her way towards her bed. 

"Yupiter. Back so late," her mother grumbles sleepily.

Jupiter nearly drops her boots and backpack of sheaves in surprise. "Sorry," she whispers, dropping the pretense of being silent.

"Again, you're sorry. We talk more in morning. Maybe a refresh of the bees and the birds, yes?" 

Thankfully, Jupiter thinks, the sound of Caine falling off his perch is muffled by the snorts of Aunt Nino’s laughter. 

\------

The House of Abrasax has absolutely nothing on Aleksa Jones, Jupiter muses as stares at the inside of a toilet bowl. She’s been fending off questions and insinuations at every turn. Her cell phone contacts have been read aloud _twice_ , her mother inspecting her face for any indication that this contact was in fact "The Boyfriend". 

Jupiter sighs and pulls off her rubber gloves. She tries not to cower when she sees her mother standing in the doorway, tapping Jupiter's cell phone against her palm. "Are you hanging noodles from your ears, Yupiter?"

Jupiter replaces her cleaning equipment in a plastic caddy. "No, mother," she says gently, trying to placate her motherly intuition.

Aleksa waves the phone around. "No text messages? No phone calls? How do you communicate with The Boyfriend?" 

"It's not a big deal. I just meet him at his place."

Aleksa gives her a suspicious look. "Not a hotel?"

"I promise I am not a prostitute," Jupiter says tiredly.

Aleksa gives her a long discerning look. "No drugs?"

Jupiter sighs. "I'm not a drug dealer. He's not a drug dealer."

"He's a good boy?"

Jupiter strives to keep a straight face. "He's a very good boy."

"You bring him to dinner," Aleksa proclaims.

Jupiter arches her eyebrow. "Tonight?"

Aleksa waves her hand. "No, not tonight. Tomorrow."

"Okay, I will let him know." 

Her mother offers Jupiter back her cell phone, but when Jupiter goes to take it, it doesn't come easily. "He's not one of those vegetarian people?" Aleksa whispers darkly.

"I don't think so," Jupiter whispers in-kind. "I'll have to ask."

Aleksa nods. "Good. Good. Now get the laundry." 

\------

As soon as she climbs out of the cleaning van, Jupiter's goal is to put as much distance as she can between she and her mother. 

"Yupiter, do not meet The Boyfriend until after dinner,” Aleksa calls out after her. 

Jupiter gives her a thumbs-up as she closes the front door. 

\--------

The kitchen smells warm and welcoming, but Jupiter beelines towards the basement. She pauses at the top of the stairs before darting back to the kitchen and snatching a warm slice of rye bread. She totally deserves this, she thinks, as she descends into the basement.

Jupiter wakes up the computer and quickly visits her favorite site for all things paranormal. She won't have much time before Vladie starts clamoring for the computer. She hasn't been logged on long before her most reliable contact, **devaguru61** , messages her. **jupiterlovesdogs** is quickly gaining the reputation of someone who knows her stuff, which really is only to be expected. Jupiter makes notes of today's paranormal phenomena before Vladie kicks her off the computer. 

She skulks around in the basement until it's time for dinner. Jupiter steels herself for part two of the inquisition as she heads up the stairs. 

Once dinner is over, she has to restrain herself from running out of the house screaming. 

She meets a smirking Caine at the end of the street. "So when are you inviting me over for dinner? It seems like an important step in your people's relationship progression."

Jupiter shakes her head. "Real funny." She links arms with him. "And tomorrow." 

"I'm looking forward to properly meeting your family, Your Majesty."

"Let's hope you still feel that way tomorrow," she says with a sigh.

Jupiter pauses mid-stride. "You're not a vegetarian, are you?"


	5. I Feel Pretty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting the family is a big step. It takes some preparation.

In the small confines of the dressing room, Caine struggles to get into a dark blue sweater. "But what would have happened if I was a vegetarian?"

Jupiter shrugs nonchalantly on the other side of the door. "My mother would have used it as a reason to hate you. Harping on every additional character fault until I inevitably broke up with you to salvage my sanity would be her endgame."

Caine pops his head through the garment's corresponding hole. He pauses, an impressed look on his face. 

"Did I scare you off, Caine?"

Caine looks in the mirror, admiring his outfit. "No, Jupiter." He looks at his back. "However, this outfit might scare you off."

"Well let's see."

Caine inches the door open. 

Jupiter raises her eyebrows appreciatively. "Blue looks good on you," she purrs. Caine sullenly turns around.

Jupiter jumps into the dressing room and shuts the door after her. "Too many lumps. Way too many lumps. For the record though, I like your lumps."

The corner of Caine's mouth quirks. "Noted."

Jupiter looks at Caine's outfit. "Okay, the pants are good - I like the pants. The sweater is good - maybe a little too clingy to certain -" 

"Lumps?"

Jupiter sighs. "You're going to hold this over my head, aren't you?" 

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Do you think adding a jacket would work? You could wear something more casual underneath it then."

"Are you sure I can't just wear my own clothes? My clothes that fit?"

"Were you planning on kicking ass at dinner?" Jupiter sighs. "No is the right answer, Caine."

Caine shrugs. "Pick out a jacket. I'll see if I can hide a weapon in it."

Jupiter contemplates this proposal. "Deal. Three weapons max."

"I only need one." Caine tries to quickly pull the sweater off. He manages to expose his chiseled stomach, but his progress halts after that. 

"Oh geez, let me help you with that." Jupiter helps extricate Caine from the sweater. If she lingers a moment on Caine's abs, she doesn't think anybody would blame her.

\-----

Caine and Jupiter walk into the warehouse. Caine drops his shopping bags near his bed. 

Jupiter sits on the bed. "Now we're done with the pleasure. It's time for business."

"That was the pleasure?" Caine says with raised eyebrows.

Jupiter pulls out her pad of notes. "I understand the alien abductions, but the Big Foot sightings?" Jupiter pauses and rubs her forehead. "Please don't tell me Big Foot is a splice."

Caine shrugs. "I won't tell you Big Foot is a splice." 

"You're going to tell me unicorns are real too?" Jupiter asks, exasperated, flapping her arms. 

"Were real? There was a crackdown on experimental splicing about 300 years ago."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to take a moment to thank everyone for reading and leaving lovely comments! I'd like to think it has something to do with how awesome y'all are and how awesome the Jupiter Ascending fandom is going to be! Thanks again!


	6. It's Black and White Really

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to get complicated for Jupiter.

A woman languidly sits on a white stone ledge of a pool containing white flowers. She traces her hand through the still water, leaving ripples in her wake. The water is black. Sensing movement behind her, she turns and rises; the black beads of her dress rustle, conforming to her ample curves. Her startling red lips purse before moving. "Greetings Othia Capra.” 

Othia Capra bows her horned head, her leathery wings bob with the movement. "Your Ladyship."

"You may address me as Niska. You _are_ doing House Ketu a most appreciated favor."

Othia thinks that Niska's definition of a favor must differ than her own, but as she watches a pale snake move amongst the beads, she decides against verbalizing that thought. "It would be helpful, Lady Niska, to know what favor you ask of me."

Niska shrugs a plump shoulder. "You must understand Othia Capra that with the Aegis heavily patrolling the orbit of the Earth that any external interference is -" Niska gently strokes the head of the pale snake now twisted around her neck. "Limited," she says with a sigh.

Othia Capra nods. "Interesting observation, but I'm wondering how this is relevant to this favor?" In Othia's head, this sentence ends with a foul word. 

Niska's dark eyes pierce her as if she can read her mind. "It matters, because you should know if I had any other options, and I mean _any_ other options, I would not have selected you for this task." 

"And the task, Lady Niska?" 

Lady Niska blinks slowly. "Eliminate Jupiter Jones." She waves her hand dismissively. "Arjunu has the details."

Othia Capra turns and fades away. 

A man clad in a rigid white robe lingers at the entryway to the garden. He toys with the white leaf of a plant, tracing the black variegation. "You are playing a dangerous game, Niska." 

Niska rolls her eyes. "You worry too much, Dynesk. Challenges provide an opportunity for growth." 

"But for who, sister?"

"Everybody."

"I do not believe that Kalique will appreciate this opportunity, especially given her request of us."

Niska sashays towards her brother. "Then we shall show her the error of her ways, brother." She presses her red lips to his cheek.

\----

Jupiter strolls the aisles of the grocery store with her mother. Her mother is bustling around, hefting cabbages, selecting the perfect cuts of meat, and complaining about the prices. Jupiter's mind keeps wandering back to her conversation with Caine less than 24 hours ago. 

His words keep circling around in her head. "The Aegis is limiting travel to Earth. These are now your potential allies and enemies." 

_Bigfoot_ might be her enemy and she's buying pickles. A loud crashing noise comes from the front of the store. Before she became Queen of the Earth, she might have assumed that someone had knocked over a display of wine and ignored the resulting chaos. Now, she's moved to action. She walks quickly towards her mother, pulling her away from an argument with the butcher. 

"Yupi-" Aleksa starts to yell. 

Jupiter turns to look at her mother and any protest is silenced. "We have to move now."

Aleksa nods, immediately and miraculously understanding the gravity of the situation. She wraps her arms protectively around her daughter and looks around for an exit. She gestures with her head to the swinging doors that lead to the back. 

Jupiter nods in agreement and they begin to move quickly to the door. 

A heavyset man wearing a store apron blocks their path. "Hey! You can't go back there -- WHAT IS THAT?" 

As Aleksa and Jupiter force their way past the distracted man, Jupiter turns back to look and immediately regrets it. Because hovering above the supermarket shelves, there's a Jersey Devil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If You're Curious/Disclaimer: I was playing around with Wikipedia. Wikipedia suggested that Abraxas could be a representation of the seven classic planets. Which lead to this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_planet. Which led to me taking some artistic liberties with Indian astrology. I don't believe these liberties are out of line of what is already presented in Jupiter Ascending, but I just want to be clear that no offense is intended. Feel free to share your thoughts if you feel otherwise. :)
> 
> Also. Sorry for the cliffhanger.


	7. Batting Cages

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Jersey Devil is closing in.

Jupiter walks briskly around the building. "I don't know how much time we have. But she's going to be coming after me."

Aleksa stops in her tracks. "The demon?" She smacks her daughter's arm. "What did you do, Yupiter?"

Jupiter rubs her arm. "Ow, I didn't do anything!" 

"There's demon after you!"

Jupiter pulls her mom after her. " We've got to get to the van. I'll explain later." 

"How do you explain demon?"

Jupiter gets her mom to the van and digs her phone out of her pocket. She presses it into her mother's hands. "I need you to call Caine."

"The Boyfriend? You don't even have his number."

"It's under Animal Control," Jupiter yells as she runs away from the van. 

Aleksa yells after her. "Where are you going?" She slams the car door shut and looks down at the phone. "Animal Control. That girl," she grumbles. She angrily cranks the engine and drives after her daughter.

\-----

After running five blocks, even with the Caine's boots, Jupiter begins to regret not getting in the van with her mother. There's no cover, just sidewalks and squat buildings, but she couldn't rationalize putting her mother at risk. Her heart seems to beating out of her chest, but when her feet begin to leave the ground, she realizes that was the sound of wings beating.

\-----

Othia Capra struggles with her quarry. Grav boots weren't included in the "details" that Niska's employee had provided. She had thought that taking Jupiter Jones into the air would have given her the advantage, but if she's going to be honest, she's getting her ass kicked. It's not completely one-sided - she's managed to knock one of the boots out of commission, but Othia is beginning to feel more like a hang glider and less like the fourth generation Jersey Devil that she is. Jupiter Jones has steered her over the massive body of water that is Lake Michigan and this is really not where she wants to go, okay? She just got a perm. So when she gets tackled from behind and begins quickly losing altitude, she’s pissed.

\-------

Jupiter has definitely been better, but at least she's not going to have to work out any time soon. Everything hurts. She's down one gravity boot and her arms are shaking from trying to steer the Jersey Devil towards the water. Don't even get her started on her core. If she falls from this height, the water is her best bet or at least that's what she keeps telling herself. As the Jersey Devil is jerked out of her grasp, it looks like her bet is about to be put to the test. The remaining gravity boot slows her descent, but let's just say it's not a soft landing.


	8. It's Like Downton Abbey in Spaaaaaaaaaaace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The closest thing to an Entitled catfight that you're going to get...

Niska smiles widely as she uses a delicate set of tongs to pile syrupy white spheres onto a plate. "You must try one of these as well, Kalique. A true delicacy." She adds a larger white dumpling to the plate. 

Kalique smiles tightly in response as she accepts the plate. "This is all well and good, but is Jupiter Jones eliminated yet, Niska?"

"Eliminated is such a peculiar word, Kalique." She gestures beckoningly towards Kalique's plate. Kalique raises the syrupy delicacy to her mouth and gingerly nibbles on it. Niska watches on in amusement as Kalique drops the remnant of the treat on the plate and then is left with the problem of her sticky fingers. 

Niska waves her hand and screens appear before her. "My apologies, but this trial is a most riveting spectacle. To think, an Entitled like your brother brought to such a low."

Kalique scowls and slowly wipes her fingers on the black tablecloth. "My time is valuable, I don't appreciate you playing games with me."

Niska coolly arches an eyebrow. "And I don't appreciate being offered your scraps, Kalique. What an amusing notion." Niska dismisses the screens with a wave of her fingers. "Did you not think we would talk to House Shukra? Unlike members of the House of Abrasax, we take family very seriously." 

Kalique gives her a side-eye. "One could argue that you take it too seriously," she snidely adds.

Niska rises from her chair. "But you were mistaken, Kalique, that House Ketu would soil its hands with your mistakes."

Kalique bristles. "I offered you a frankly obscene portion of Regenex profits. Do not act like you are not being justly compensated."

"Only an _idiot_ wants to live forever. Forgive me for wanting to diversify my portfolio beyond something that appeals to such a specific niche market. Maybe this Jupiter Jones can offer me such an opportunity. So if you want to "eliminate" Jupiter Jones, you'll have to step out of the shadows, for once in your life, and do it yourself." 

"You dare to say these words to my face? You porpoise!"

Niska's eyes narrow. "You may leave now, Kalique."

Kalique gets to her feet in outrage. "You cannot dismiss me. My House outranks yours."

Niska blinks innocently. "Well it used to. You'll have to acclimate to your new station, Kalique."  
\-------

Jupiter does not think she's ever going to get used to this. Less than two hours ago, she was floating in Lake Michigan after a fight for her life with a Jersey Devil. Now? Now she's damp and in the cleaning van on the way to see Stinger. Her mother has finally stopped yelling at Caine in Russian although she keeps periodically yelling, "Aliens" and "The Boyfriend is dog." 

Jupiter can understand this sentiment. Right now, she's sitting next to a Jersey Devil, Othia Capra, who has been on a 30-minute tirade about how Chicagoans can't make pizza. 

"This!" Othia snaps her piece in half. "This is a cracker covered in sauce and cheese. This shit is against the Geneva Conventions you know."

Aleksa turns around in the front seat. "For the last time, demon, you are not prisoner. Free to go any time. Please leave before I kick you out."

"And for the last time, I'm not a freaking demon. I've got horns and I've got wings. That's where the similarity ends, lady."

Caine flashes her an amused look and Jupiter smiles as she takes a bite of her pizza, it’s better than watching TV.


	9. It's Like Buzzfeed…But Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They make it to Stinger's house.

Kiza looks out the dusty window when she hears the rumble of a car coming down the dirt road. Her dad casually but kind of obviously lingers by the front porch. 

Kiza's used to existing on the outskirts, the wallflower that observes the dance but doesn't participate - her dad the overzealous chaperone. He doesn't always keep her in the loop, but he always keeps her safe.

She stretches with a sigh, still relishing the absence of the insistent tickle in her chest, and heads out of her workshop. It's time she put herself where the action is, protect her dad for a change. 

The van pulls to a stop and then suddenly erupts with people. The sudden movement might have been startling, but Kiza recognizes Caine and the bees recognize Her Majesty almost instantly. She's not sure who the other woman and goat splice are though. 

"Hey kid! You guys got a bathroom out here? Or should I just pop a squat anywhere?" 

Jupiter smiles tightly. "Hi Kiza." She gestures to a dark-haired woman. "This is my mother and this is-" 

The goat splice rolls her eyes. "Yeah, yeah Othia Capra, nice to meet you, still need to pee." 

Kiza looks to her dad for approval, before addressing Othia. "Uh...hi. I will show you to the bathroom."

Aleksa marches up to Stinger and holds out her hand. "Pleasure to meet you. My name is Aleksa. I am Jupiter's mother."

Stinger shakes Aleksa's hand. "It's a pleasure. Stinger Apini."

Aleksa looks between Stinger and the hive-covered house. "Oh, you are bee man. Very subtle."

"You will find Aleksa that the Universe has a sense of humor," Stinger says with a laugh. 

Aleksa shrugs. "I'm Russian." 

Stinger nods. "Fair point." He claps Caine on the shoulder. "It's not like I'm not happy to see you, but I might be wondering why you're here."

“I wanted to see what your progress was on that project we were talking about. Also –“  
Caine looks at Jupiter. 

Jupiter waves. "Yeah, somebody tried to kill me."

"Unfortunately this doesn't surprise me, Your Majesty."

"We weren't surprised either," Caine and Jupiter say in unison, before smiling at each other.

Kiza hovers in the doorway watching the exchange. Aleksa nudges her arm. "They think they are so cute,” she says with a roll of her eyes. “Oh barf, am I right?” Kiza smiles.

Kiza studies the scene for a moment. "If you don't mind me asking, Your Majesty, who tried to kill you?" 

Othia clears her throat. "That would be me. And it was eliminate, not kill. They were very specific on that bit." She wipes her hands on her jeans. "You know you're out of paper towels, right?" 

\----------

Stinger shakes his head. "So let me get this straight. Lady Niska hires you to eliminate Jupiter Jones, and you didn't because -" 

Othia shrugs. "I didn't feel like it anymore."

Stinger looks disbelievingly at Caine who just shrugs in response.

"It's not like she was paying me. The lady said it was a favor." 

Caine frowns. "She was putting out feelers. What do you know about Lady Niska, Stinger?"

"House Ketu. One of the oldest houses. She has a brother, Lord Dynesk. They stay on the right side of the law, the Aegis don't need to get involved."

Stinger looks at Othia. "What I'm wondering is why you're still here?"

Othia rubs her horn in contemplation. "Like if I was going to throw my hat in with someone Jupiter seemed like a more _real_ person versus some black and white fancy moon lady."

Jupiter smiles. "Hey thanks."

Othia nods. "No problemo. I kind of feel bad about, you know, bashing you into buildings. But you did ruin my perm. So I think we’re about even.”

“Well when you look at it like that.” Jupiter says in a dry tone. 

Othia waves her hand. “But to make it worth your while, I have connections with a capital C. You're looking at the Chairperson of the Young Cryptids Committee. You want allies? Bigfoot's my boyfriend."


	10. Take a Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team sorts out the practicalities of meeting Othia's Bigfoot boyfriend.

Othia tilts her head. "Or rather a Bigfoot, because there's actually a pretty large population of Bigfoot."

Caine crosses his arms. "What is preventing us from contacting these Bigfoot ourselves?"

"Trying to cut out the middle man? I respect that, but Bigfoot are like the fricking _rock stars_ of the cryptid community. You can't just like waltz up to them. You need an in. I'm your in."

Jupiter looks Othia directly in the eye. "Are you sure they would help us?" 

"Bigfoot are smart. They would analyze all the numbers and data, but you're obviously the side to be on, you know," Othia pauses and gestures to herself. "Obviously."

Jupiter rubs her mouth. "It's hard to believe I'm saying these words, but where can we find these Bigfoot?"

"Portland."

Jupiter throws her hands up in the air. "Of course they live in Portland." She rubs her forehead. "They would ‘t happen to have a phone number or an e-mail?"

Othia nods enthusiastically. "Oh yeah it's bigfootiepajamas at," She shakes their head. "No they don't have an e-mail address. They. Are. Rock. Stars. You'd have to make that connection in person."

"Of course," Jupiter says with a sigh. She looks at Caine. "How are we going to do that?"

Stinger nods sagely. "I guess now it's time to show you what Caine has had me working on.” He leads the motley crew out of the farmhouse and towards the barn. 

Jupiter takes a moment to study the sun setting over the cornfields as Stinger pushes open the barn door revealing a dim interior. Stinger flips the light switch revealing a large unwieldy-looking craft. It looked better in the dark, Jupiter thinks, as she looks between the blocky mass of metal and Caine. Aleksa and Othia look distinctly unimpressed as Kiza leans quietly against the barn door.

Stinger pats the side of a fercadium hull with a dull thunk. "If doesn't look pretty - I've cobbled some stuff together - but it should fly."

"Should?" Jupiter asks worriedly.

Othia waves her hand. "Yeah, I'd rather fly the 2,000 miles to Portland," she gestures to her leathery wings. "With these guys, rather than get in that tin can."

Aleksa gestures to Othia. "I agree with this."

Kiza crosses her arms. "It's definitely going to fly - I fixed it," she says coolly. 

Caine whispers in Jupiter's ear. "Kiza has always been good with anything mechanical."

Jupiter sighs in relief. "I feel infinitely better knowing that. Thank you, Kiza."

Kiza shrugs. "My dad flies them, I fix them."

Stinger claps his hands. "We'll get to the flying tomorrow. Better bunk here for the night."  
\----------

As the group heads back into the farmhouse, Caine pulls Aleksa aside. 

"May I speak with you Ms. Jones?"

"Not Her Majesty's Mother?" Aleksa says with a sniff. Jupiter looks back, a slight look of panic in her eyes, but Caine reassures her with a small gesture of his hand. She heads into the farmhouse but lingers close to the door.

"Would you like me to refer to you as Her Majesty's Mother?"

Aleksa waves her hand dismissively. "No, no, that is too fussy. You may call me Aleksa for now."

Caine nods. "I wanted to apologize that your first impression of me was not the best-"

Aleksa shrugs. "You fished my daughter out of Lake Michigan - it was not bad."

"Ideally we would have met under different circumstances - more normal circumstances. We had a whole," he gestures to his chest in a circular movement, "outfit picked out." 

Aleksa hums. "Normal is overrated, I think. I have only one request."

"Yes?" Caine asks.

Aleksa pats his shoulder. "My daughter says you are a good boy. Do not make my daughter liar."

Caine nods solemnly. "I will try."

Aleksa pats his arm. "A good start. Relax now, you have survived meeting the mother," she says with a laugh as she continues toward the farmhouse. "Hello Yupiter," Aleksa says loudly as she passes Jupiter in the doorway.

Caine looks down at the ground, trying to hide the smile on his face. "Were you eavesdropping, Your Majesty?" he calls out.

Jupiter pokes her head out of the door. "Who me? Oh no, I was just pretending I was Caine Wise and I had really, really good hearing."

Caine crosses his arms. "You'd have to step closer to get the full Caine Wise auditory experience." 

Jupiter takes a large step forward so that she's standing on the porch. 

Caine raises an eyebrow. "I'm almost insulted, Your Majesty, you'd have to be closer than that."

Jupiter smiles playfully and jumps off the porch. She skips to a stop a few feet shy of Caine.

"Still need to be closer,” Caine says with a hint of a smirk on his face. Jupiter looks Caine in the eye. She slowly steps forward until their bodies are nearly touching. "Can you hear my heartbeat?" Caine whispers. 

Jupiter shakes her head. She lays her head against his chest, draping her arms across his lower back. She takes a deep breath and lets the stress of the day fade away. "Thank you for talking to my mother - I know you didn't have to."

Caine wraps his arms around Jupiter. "I had an obligation to do so. Both you and your mother deserve that respect," he says, his chest rumbling. 

Jupiter sighs. "A lot of people wouldn't look at it that way."

Caine shakes his head. "Those people are misinformed. We're Pack - we respect ourselves and each other like this."

Jupiter looks up at him. "Thank you." She rests her chin on his shoulder and closes her eyes. They stand there, embracing, on the front lawn just savoring each other's presence.

Caine breaks the silence. "Are we going to talk about what's going to happen tomorrow?"

Jupiter bites at her lip. "I think we can think of better things to do right now." 

Caine moves his head slightly. "Your mother is watching us through the window," he whispers. They take each other's hand and start running towards the cornfield.

Aleksa calls out after them. "Dinner is in 20 minutes, Yupiter."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've added an estimate of how many chapters I think are left. This is a very optimistic estimate, it'll probably be more, who am I kidding. 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!


	11. Hey Bigfoot! Or Deus Ex Machina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And you get a Bigfoot sighting! And you get a Bigfoot sighting!

The skyline of Portland is vastly different than Chicago's. Jupiter thinks in that moment that it's a little strange that she's seen more of other planets than she has her own. Othia directs Caine to a large patch of green next to an intricate combination of metal and wood masquerading as a building. The flight was a short, but definitely not enjoyable. When the craft lands with a shudder, everyone breathes a sigh of relief. Putting her feet on solid ground is an even better feeling. 

A tall, bearded redhead wearing a blue bowling shirt and a red beanie walks out of the building. “Hey, you guys can’t just park there like that. Cloak it or something.” 

Caine frowns at the control panel and pokes a button. “Did that do anything?” 

“No, man. Nada.” 

Othia clambers out of the craft. “Honestly, Rufus. It’s not like the Tershies are going to see or anything. How many security protocols does this place have in place?”

Rufus waves his hairy arms around. “Totally not the point, Othia. It totally interrupts the design harmonics of the building.” 

"That's totally cute. Never change, Rufus. Where's your brother?

Rufus sighs. "Is that why you're here? You could have just Skyped him or something." 

Othia fluffs her hair. "No, bro. We're here for business."

"Once again, funding your band with company funds is not a legitimate business expense."

Othia furrows her brow. "If we wore T-shirts with the company logo, how is that not legitimate?" She waves her hands about. "Now I’m getting off track. I'm here to facilitate an alliance between the Queen of Earth, Jupiter Jones, and the Bigfoot." She gives Rufus a thumbs up.

Rufus turns around. "Follow me, please."

As they follow Rufus through the door, his appearance becomes more hirsute. Rufus turns around with a grin. "Don't be alarmed. I'm just having a bad hair day." He pauses when the group doesn't react. "Because I'm a Bigfoot." He waits. He scratches his chin. "Office humor," he says awkwardly. He quickly walks through the hallways. 

Jupiter jogs to catch up. "What do you do here at-"

"Sandersmans Hill." He winks. "It's a bit of an inside joke." He looks around at the bustling office. "We do a little bit of everything - analytics, engineering, consulting." He leads them to a waiting room. "If you could wait here. Ms. Pan will be with you shortly. Feel free to help yourself to a healthy snack and a beverage."

Caine looks around self-consciously before easing into a chair. Othia starts to drift towards the snack table. "Not you," Rufus says with a laugh as he redirects Othia towards the hallway. "You wanted to see my brother." 

"I didn't really want any of your stupid kale chips anyway," she says with a sniff.

The room is awkwardly quiet after Othia leaves. Jupiter looks around. “So these are comfy chairs,” she says with a sigh. 

Aleksa cranes her neck to inspect the snack table. "I might have beverage." She gets up and examines the table more closely. "Yupiter, Caine, you have not eaten since breakfast. You want food? I'll make you plate." She delivers a white ceramic plate laden with food to Caine and Jupiter before returning to the snack table for a beverage. 

Caine and Jupiter look at the plate piled with food. "Is that cheese?" Jupiter asks pointing at a light brown cube. Jupiter pops it in her mouth and chews and then stops. "It's definitely not cheese! What am I eating?" 

Caine picks up a cube and sniffs it. "It doesn't smell like anything?"

Jupiter chews fervently, swallows, and chases the mouthful with a handful of grapes. "I just ate a mystery cube."

"It's toasted tofu, Your Majesty. The majority of our employees are vegan." Jupiter looks toward the voice. The source? A silver-haired female Sasquatch in a perfectly tailored pantsuit. "Oyra Pan, it's an honor, Your Majesty." She gestures to the snack table. "Please help yourself if you are still hungry. I think I might have a little snack myself."

\-----  
Oyra brushes the remnants of seeds off her blouse. She combs through the hair on her face with her fingers, twirling the ends to lay flat on her face. She looks across her desk at Jupiter, Aleksa and Caine. "My apologies for the excessive grooming - it comes with the territory," she says with a smile. She clears her throat. "Did Rufus mention what we do here at Sandersmans Hill?"

"Analytics, consulting, and engineering. I know what those words mean, but I don't know what it means, you know," Jupiter says with a shrug. 

Oyra laughs. "It is _purposefully_ vague. Though in order to fully comprehend what we do here, it helps to know a little bit about our history." She looks out of the window. "I suppose the first place to start is to acknowledge that splices created with Hominidae DNA have been viewed by various institutions as being 'unstable'. Unstable in the sense that our ancestors refused to become the engineers of death that they were created to be. These projects were abandoned." 

Jupiter presses the side of her hand against Caine's. "I'm very sorry to hear that, Ms. Pan."

Ms. Pan nods solemnly. "It is quite all right, Your Majesty." 

"Jupiter, please." 

Oyra nods. "The second thing to acknowledge is that Earth and other planets due for harvest have often been considered a dumping ground of sorts. Very simply, when you eliminate the capability of leaving the planet, it becomes a prison. The latter is what Earth was for the remnants of the Hominidae splicing projects - abandoned on Earth with no supplies or technology."

Oyra looks around her room, all sleek wood and polished steel. "Though it started as our prison, it is our home now. With the help of our benefactor, we created Sandersmans Hill back in 1953. We endeavored to protect the Earth and its occupants. So we work in analytics in terms of human poaching and other extraterrestrial-related statistics. Consulting in terms of working with our benefactor and extraterrestrial players to act in the best interest of Earth. These efforts are complemented by the development of concepts and technologies to limit deterioration of natural resources and pollution and improve the quality of life for inhabitants of Earth."

Jupiter blinks. "Wow, that's really impressive."

Oyra nods. "Thank you. It's definitely a balancing act of our technological capabilities and what can be tolerated, but we enjoy the process. We've been feeding the idea for LED light bulbs since the 1960s."

"Gradual change is best," Aleksa agrees with a nod. 

"Wow that's a long time." Jupiter says politely. 

Oyra nods. "Slow and steady, it could serve as our unofficial motto," she forms her hands in a triangle, "thus the most recent events have brought about some turmoil in our company. The House of Abrasax was a known entity, the siblings acting as their own checks and balances, if you will. With Balem removed from the equation and while incarcerated Titus' power is limited, but Kalique has become an unknown entity." 

Jupiter raises an eyebrow. "I'm...sorry?"

Oyra makes a jerky movement. "Oh no, oh no. I was not laying any blame with you, Your Majesty. It was a tentative peace, if anything. I'm just trying to accurately present the current situation. We need a new tactic, Your Majesty, we need to adapt to this situation quickly and we need your help."

Jupiter looks skeptically at Caine and Aleksa before turning at Oyra. "But what can I do?"

"It would not be anything outside of the realm of your extensive capabilities, Your Majesty. I would simply like to arrange a meeting."

Jupiter raises an eyebrow. "A meeting with who?" 

Oyra raises her palms in a placating gesture. "Simply our benefactor, Mr. Pat."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real talk: Part of my creation process is I stop consuming other creative works (When I was doing NaNoWriMo, I didn't read a book for THREE MONTHS - this is tragic). When I started writing Without Injuring Eternity, I think there were six? works on AO3…and now there's 100 + and I really, really, really want to read them and honestly it's kind of hindering my work on this as I'm not participating in the fandom in all the ways I want to. The last thing I want to do is abandon this fic, but just bear with me, I guess. 
> 
> Also I have to give credit to this glossary post (so HELPFUL) -- http://fuckyeahjupiterascending.tumblr.com/post/111300806870/jupiter-ascending-the-glossary 
> 
> Thank you for reading! (Have any Jupiter Ascending recs? Please share with me :3)


	12. Meet Mr. Pat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Pat shows up.

Jupiter straightens in her chair. "I am not opposed to such a meeting, Ms. Pan, but I would need to know what it would entail. I don't have to go halfway across the universe, do I?"

Ms. Pan stares at Jupiter before bursting into tittering laughter. "I just replayed what I said in my head. Honestly, it sounds more dramatic than it actually is." She flips through a series of screens. "Mr. Pat has few prior engagements, but he would be available for a late lunch. Do you like Vietnamese food?"

Jupiter looks at her mother. "Food is food," Aleksa says with a shrug. 

Ms. Pan nods. "It's a very good restaurant - they also do Thai food? Gluten-free, vegan options too."

Jupiter looks at Caine. "It certainly seems the most likely to please a large group," Caine says with a tight shrug.

Jupiter looks back at Ms. Pan. "It looks like we are in agreement then."

"Excellent," Ms. Pan says with a clap. "Let me just reserve the restaurant now."

Jupiter suspects Ms. Pan isn't referring to a table, but the entire restaurant. That's not intimidating at all, Jupiter thinks sarcastically.  
\-----

She doesn't know what she was expecting, but she didn't think that Mr. Pat would be yellow. She also wasn't expecting for him to get up from the table and hug Caine, or her mother, or her - but that's now a thing apparently.

Mr. Pat enthusiastically shakes Caine's hand. "Mr. Wise, I never imagined that I would see you again. You look marvelous. Simply marvelous."

Caine frowns. "I don't believe we've met, Mr. Pat." 

Mr. Pat grins, his teeth a startling white against his yellow skin. "And this must be the lovely Ms. Jupiter Jones. Truly a pleasure to finally put a face to the name," he says as he shakes her hand.

Mr. Pat turns to Aleksa. "I have not met you before, but welcome!"

He gestures to the table. "Please sit." Mr. Pat settles into his own seat and looks expectedly at the group. "I've taken the liberty to order some appetizers." He shakes his finger at Caine. "Do not worry, Mr. Wise. I have remembered you do not enjoy spicy food." 

"I do not recall this prior interaction you keep referencing, Mr. Pat."

Mr. Pat quickly leans forward and lifts Caine's eyelids, inspecting his eye. Caine jerks away from the touch. "Well that certainly makes sense," Mr. Pat says with a sad shake of his head. "My apologies, Mr. Wise. I was not aware that your memory had been altered." He shakes his fist. "And to remove so much! It speaks to the brutality of Lord Balem, a truly heinous act."

Caine furrows his brow in confusion. Jupiter grasps Caine's hand under the table. Jupiter's first instinct is to tell Mr. Pat to spit it out already, but she collects herself. "Perhaps, explaining your recollection of these events would be more worthwhile, Mr. Pat." 

"I apologize, Ms. Jones. The truth of the matter is I had an arrangement with Misters Wise and Apini." Jupiter arches an eyebrow, urging him to continue. "To remove Lord Balem from the equation. To my knowledge Mr. Wise was very nearly successful."

"And you let Caine and Stinger take the fall?" Jupiter says, disdain clear in her voice. 

"Oh! Of course not, Ms. Jones. I also received a punishment - banishment to Earth, mitigated, of course, by the fact that Balem was also trying to kill me." Mr. Pat sighs. "Alas, Balem still got what he wanted." 

"Which was?"

" I was the last obstacle to overcome - I was vehemently opposed to the expansion of the stockworks. Jupiter also belongs to the House Brihaspati. Or did rather," he says with a sigh.

"So you don't support Regenex."

Mr. Pat nods soberly." Ms. Jones, when you believe, truly believe, in recurrence, you have no need for Regenex." Mr. Pat sighs. "Seraphi and I had always been allies, but we became very close in her last years. I realize now this connection was orchestrated by her children, impatient for their inheritance, for her to die once and for all." He looks at each member of the party. "I apologize for the repercussions of my failure."

Jupiter feels a little numb as she lets the sordid details sink in. She can't even imagine how Caine must feel right now. Do these details slot neatly into the holes in his memory?

Aleksa claps as the appetizers arrive. "Now awkward conversation can stop."

\------  
Mr. Pat dips a rice paper-wrapped roll into a small dish of sauce. "I apologize for the unpleasantness of our prior conversation. Hopefully the food is making up for it?"

Jupiter places a wooden stick stripped of its meat back on her plate. "Not that I don't appreciate the food, Mr. Pat, but I'm curious as to why we're having this meeting." 

Mr. Pat pats his lips with a napkin. "Of course, Ms. Jones." He clears his throat. "I would like to offer you a job with Sandersmans Hill." He looks to Aleksa. "And your dear mother."

Jupiter's brow furrows in confusion. "Why would you want to do that?" 

Mr. Pat takes a drink of his water. "An offer in good faith. I would like to help you, Ms. Jones, avoid the same mistakes that I made while dealing with the House of Abrasax. While I know that you would be more than capable of doing the same on your own, I would like to offer you access to the connections and resources that I've amassed in my exile. Like Ms. Pan, Earth is my home now. I will have nowhere else to go if Kalique were to succeed in her machinations."

Jupiter nods." You have given me a lot to think about. I would have to discuss this with -" 

Aleksa stretches out her hand towards Mr. Pat. "I will take the job."

"Excellent!" Mr. Pat smiles shaking Aleksa's hand enthusiastically. "I only read some of your papers, Ms. Jones, but I truly believe you can do great things here at Sandersmans Hill."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More plotty stuff. I think one more chapter is going to be accurate, so yay?


	13. Count Them By Sensation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jupiter has to make a decision.

Jupiter pulls her mother into the women's restroom. "I cannot believe you right now. We need to discuss this first."

Aleksa rolls her eyes before replying in Russian. "You act like I made an impulsive decision. I did research the company before lunch. They do good work here. I could do good work here. You want to clean toilets forever, Jupiter?" 

Jupiter frowns. "Not really." 

"Then I suggest you seriously consider this offer."

"How do I know if it's the right decision?"

Aleksa holds her daughter close. "We don't have all the answers and we never will. Unless, there's some sort of alien device you haven't told me about. You just have to trust your gut and jump."

"But it will affect entire _planets_ -" Jupiter says shaking her head.

"I have heard from The Boyfriend that you have made decisions of this magnitude already. Now, you are just being a baby." Aleksa tenderly touches her daughter's face. "You have not been a baby for a long time."

Jupiter blinks slowly. "I guess that is true."

The mother-daughter moment is interrupted by a knock on the restroom door. "Your Majesty?"

"I will let you talk to The Boyfriend," Aleksa says as she leaves the restroom. She acknowledges Caine with a nod.

Jupiter leans against the sink. "Hey Caine."

Caine stands outside the doorway. "Am I allowed inside?" He points to the door. "It says Women."

Jupiter rolls her eyes. "As the Queen of Earth, I permit you to enter the inner sanctum of all women."

Caine steps across the threshold. "I can feel the power tingling across my skin already."

Jupiter shakes her head, a smile on her face. "I should be trying to cheer _you_ up right now. You were punished for something that you can't even remember. "

"It's easier to lay blame on a defective splice rather than expose the corruption of an Entitled of Lord Balem's caliber."

"But how is that fair?" 

"This is how I know you deserve that seal on your wrist. That I know I can trust any decision you make is a just one." 

Jupiter holds her forehead, slightly panicked. "No pressure." 

Caine encases her in an embrace. "You are not alone, Jupiter." He pauses. "I don't know if it helps, but Mr. Pat says that the offer of employment is unconditional."

"I guess I've made my decision then."

\----------  
One Year Later

Jupiter sighs as she dismisses the floating screen with a flick of her wrist. She gets out of her chair and paces, barefoot, in her office.

"I heard a sigh, Boss." Othia rolls in her chair towards the doorway in Jupiter's office.

Jupiter pinches the bridge of her nose. "Kalique started a charity." 

Othia nods thoughtfully, her curls bouncing. "That sounds nice?"

"Providing Regenex to the less fortunate like people with terminal illnesses." 

Othia shakes her head back and forth. "Not as nice. Well that really puts a dent in the whole 'Regenex sucks' campaign."

"Again, not what we call it, but yeah, tell me about it." 

Othia throws her head back and groans. "You want me to contact Lady Niska now, don't you?" 

"Yes, please, Othia." 

"Ugh," Othia moans as she rolls slowly towards her desk. 

"We have to do things in life we don't enjoy, Othia." 

"Yupiter," her mother yells on the way to Jupiter's office, "the toilet needs cleaning!" 

Jupiter rolls her eyes and grabs her caddy of cleaning products. "You have an unreasonable standard of cleanliness, Mom." 

"No, we are professionals, employees at Sandersmans Hill. People expect we have clean toilets." 

"You are literally the only person who visits the Chicago branch." 

Aleksa shrugs. "That is no excuse." She waves her folio. "Once you are done with the toilet, we will have a meeting."

"Looking forward to it," Jupiter grumbles.

Othia forcefully presses buttons on a console. "We have to do things in life we don't enjoy, Boss." 

Jupiter makes a rude gesture with the toilet brush.  
\-------  
Jupiter looks at the screen in front of her. "How have the fermionic dampeners performed in testing?" 

Aleksa presses a button on her laptop. "Inconsistent, but we think these avenues look promising. The chart on your left shows-" A knock on the conference room door interrupts the rest of her sentence. 

"Boss, you wanted to know when Caine got back."

"Thank you, Othia."

"And you need to start getting ready if you're going to make it to the Aegis Honored Ball at a reasonable time."

Jupiter smiles tightly. "I didn't forget. Thank you, Othia." 

Othia hovers in the doorway. "I took the liberty of ordering a pizza - a real pizza. I thought you might want to eat before the bash and all that." 

"Thank you, Othia," Jupiter says sincerely. 

Othia shrugs. "I might have a slice or two myself so it's no big deal, Boss."

Jupiter nods knowingly. "Uh-huh."

Aleksa closes her laptop. "We will continue the presentation tomorrow. I am going back to my hotel. Remember tomorrow is-" 

"Dinner with the family. Yes, I remember. Just because you forget one thing, one time."

"I forgive you, Your Majesty. It was only our wedding."

Jupiter shakes her ruefully. "I literally forgot for only one minute -"

Caine presses a kiss to her lips. "I know. I missed you today." 

Jupiter smiles. "I missed you too." 

Aleksa rolls her eyes. "Okay, my cue to leave. Bye, bye children of mine."

Jupiter pats Caine's chest. "And we have to get ready."

\-------  
Jupiter picks another slice of pizza out the box and eats it, in a hunched over position, as to prevent spoiling her attire for the evening. "This pizza tastes _so good_. So good." She nods at Caine. "Did you have a good day?"

Caine's mouth tilts. "It will be better after the ball." 

Jupiter nods fervently. "I know right! I can't wait until I can get out of this dress and into bed."

Caine's mouth wrinkles in humor. "I'll see what I can do." 

"Oh stop," Jupiter laughs as she loudly kisses him. 

Her life hasn't gotten any less weird - she's currently in the space-equivalent of a limousine eating pizza with her winged, genetically modified husband. As the Queen of Earth, she often has to wear fancy and elaborate clothes like tonight but she cherishes the time she gets to spend with Caine and her family...and the times she gets to wear sweatpants. She works hard and she still has to scrub toilets, but Jupiter Jones can honestly say that she's happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is the end - I hope it was satisfactory. XD 
> 
> Thank you everybody for reading. And a special thank you to everyone who commented - it means a lot.


End file.
